As the Lord guides me,
As we gaze unto this illuminated grape arbor, there are two hibernating grape plants attached to it; one at each end. In due season, the leaves begin to emerge and grow to become a life source and shelter on the vine that is for the benefit of the fruit that only God knows how will arrive each season. What will the fruit be like? There is one fruit; yet, with many qualities that make the grape (fruit) good. As with a Believer, there is one God, with many qualities that need to be known and understood that God is Good!
“I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing (John 15:5 ESV).”
I hope this is a blessing to you. Holy Spirit you are welcome here!
Love in Christ,
Karen Rowe
Do you know how valuable you are to God?
Write to us and we will send you a gift to help know and believe in the love God has for you!
The Train Whistle
C/O Hope in Today Ministries, Inc.
P.O. Box 441, Efland, NC 27243
God is good!
We DEcide & Abide
Painting a picture of the Benefits of Thanks Giving every day, we too must prepare our heart for the Fruit of the Spirit that only God knows the produce that will come. Only God knows how the season we are going through will benefit the fruit of the Spirit in our own life. Yet we must decide to bare fruit. Thanks, giving to God prepares our heart to produce in the Gates of God! And, praise to God brings forth the lush fruit of the Spirit to flow from our ever-growing heart that loves and trusts God!
“Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name (Psalm 100:4 KJV).”
What if this grape vine remained dormant?
What if this grape vine remained dormant? It would most likely be dead. We are saved by Grace, but without works, faith is dead.
Faith Without Works Is Dead
“What does it profit, my brethren, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can faith save him? 15 If a brother or sister is naked and destitute of daily food, 16 and one of you says to them, “Depart in peace, be warmed and filled,” but you do not give them the things which are needed for the body, what does it profit? 17 Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead (James 2:14-26, NKJV).”
Even in the dormancy of tree, there is life in the plant! If you are not sure about your own soul, let’s talk about your value to God! God is the LIFE: Jesus is the Truth, the Way and the Life! In Christ, there is life, because God is a Spirit and Jesus Restore our broken spirit back to God! Believe! Then, you can bare fruit for God’s Glory!
I was driving home yesterday and noticed how the fall scenery looked like it was wiped clean of colors and life, but the Lord spoke in my heart to me; and I saw the life that was in the trees. I heard the whisper of the Lord say, “Write about this:” In the season, where the life is contained that we can’t see (In Christ), you have most likely broken a twig to see if it was green inside; or dead. Sometimes it is just a branch that is dead on a tree; and sometimes the tree. A dead branch breaks off easily, but a green (live) branch bends and does not break. It is because of the life inside the tree! And, so is the life inside of a Believer, when you first believe!
In 1989 or 1990 we bought our first fixer-upper to be our 1st house as a married couple in the 3rd year of our marriage. According to all we could afford, we chose this place because of the charm in the yard of all the mature flowers and flowering bushes! It was obvious that the family before us had a heart for the Lord in the way everything planted and bloomed! The heart of love positioned this landscape, with that good oh Country Charm for us to see! Just has God is love; and Jesus has positioned love for us to see, and experience in the fruit of the Spirit, which are the Benefits of Thanks Giving every day!
By the time we rebuilt this house, and moved in, the seasons had changed! When it become time to landscape according to our needs, there was a wild “dead looking eye-sore” bush hovering right by the steps to the front porch. Once I saw the beauty in season, but now, I just didn’t know any better… My husband lovingly said to me, “Are you sure you want to replace this bush?” I had no doubts in my mind that it had to go; but I was only looking at the season that I didn’t understand.
I was only looking at the season that I didn’t understand.
As time tinkered along, my husband agreed, as I chose a replacement for this now missing bush; Yes, this would be a perfect choice for this now void area by the porch! This plant was smaller, and in season, with healthy leaves and beginning blooms! Years later, in conversation, my husband said to me, “You know, Karen, that bush you had me remove was the same bush that we just planted.” The only difference was that in the one that was mature, it was in the season of difficult times…(I couldn’t see past what I could see). And the one that was just planted was prepared to grow.
It is easy to see a the beauty of life in the growing season, but it takes faith to Praise God and give Thanks Giving to God during the difficult times. The Benefits of Thanks Giving Every Day, is how we perceive any situation with eyes of God who knows all things in spite of what we see!
Fruit is being prepared in life to spring forth; in a plant; and in our spirit filled with the Holy Spirit of God! Faith looks beyond the difficult times that our eyes may notice what we see to produce the fruit of the Spirit!
But what does this Fruit look like to us? And to God?
And, so let’s explore this message; as the Spirit of the Lord guides my heart; will you allow the Holy Spirit of the Lord to open your mind to see (God) LOVE in a different view.
My husband did as I asked, and we removed that plant; but he had experience with gardening to identifying the woody plants and trees in season and out of season, even without the leaves and blooms. I just needed to learn for myself that there is more to things than our eyes can see!
I just needed to learn for myself that there is more to things than our eyes can see!
Hope in Today Ministries is a Ministry about the Love of Jesus; and how that believing in God; and believing that God So loved the world that He gave us Jesus to save our soul will completely change our life forever! Because, God So Loved us, we can experience the benefits of the Love God has for us, by our Praise and Thanks Giving to God every day, in every way; by abiding in the presence of God and God abiding in our heart. It is our heart of ministry to bring a message to all who are seeking that, yes there is Hope; and God So loves you!
The Fruit of the Spirit is the Picture we are painting of the Benefits of Thanks Giving every day. Through this series, we will begin to explore what does this Fruit of the Spirit look like; and how do we get there to producing this Fruit of God’s glory when we don’t feel like it? The answer is my friend, that we abide in the vine and experience the power of God, who is For us, With us & In us!
The first up: A Glimpse of True LOVE!
Years ago, while I was on a “commercial-break hold” awaiting the next phase of a live radio interview with Pastor Dewey Moede, For God’s Glory Alone Ministries, (back then, with KKIM), I was praying! This may have been the first time that I heard a message from the Lord so clear, and I heard the Lord answer my strong plea for help in my human weakness, “Please give me what you want me to say!”
The Spirit of the Lord answered me and said, “Tell them this: ‘Remain in Jesus and remain in love. God is love. Remain in love and you are remaining in Me.’ Love is defined in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8.”
Immediately, live on the Radio, I was able to tell this message from the Lord! I still so rejoice in my heart as I thank God for rescuing me; first for my Salvation, but also in my every need! God provides to meet needs exceedingly; and when our heart seeks the Lord believing in God; God produces established fruit to burst out from within us for His glory to be seen! We remember our God is strong in our weakness; and seek Him! And, then, there is a Miracle (as we wait on the Fruit God Provides for us to see and experience), by faith, we can move our feet with a heart trusting in God, by the Grace of God; and this is how!
the most powerful prayer
God is worthy of our Praise and Thanks Giving; and it is for our benefit that we experience God’s Produce! He will give us the strength to pray the most powerful prayer: “Father, give me the strength to accept your will!” WOW! And, if you get this, you will never be the same! Because now, God will move in your situations; and according to His good will; and you will experience God’s emotions regardless of what you see!
When you surrender it all to trust God unconditionally, God’s emotions will fill you that God is being pleased by your faith! Love, joy & peace will swell a confidence in God; and God’s voice will tell you all you need to know!
The benefits of Thanks Giving is the manifest presence of the overflowing Fruit of the Spirit!
if you get this, you will never be the same!
God is handling the situations when we abide in the vine with HIM! Apart from the Vine we can do nothing, but on the Vine, God is able!
The benefits of Thanks Giving are experiencing God’s Presence & abiding with God’s emotions; the power of abiding in Love, with God’s emotions of Peace and Joy! And then there is a growing increase in Praise and Thanks Giving … which should always be growing in the power of believing (in faith) / not decreasing (in doubt) …
“I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing (John 15:5 ESV).”
I hope this is a blessing to you. Holy Spirit you are welcome here!
Love in Christ,
Karen Rowe
Do you know how valuable you are to God?
Write to us and we will send you a gift to help know and believe in the love God has for you!
The Train Whistle
C/O Hope in Today Ministries, Inc.
P.O. Box 441, Efland, NC 27243
A preview to The power of the word ABIDE!
The manifest presence of a always near & Living God, is the Evidence of the Fruit of the Spirit that can be active in our life, because of Whom God is, and the Vine that God has given us to abide in: Christ Jesus for LIFE and Produce.
God is LOVE!
Several years later, after that interview with Dewey Moede, I heard a pastor making a proclamation over & over again: 1 John 4:16! It was the same message that the Lord God, through His Holy Spirit spoke to me to tell the world this message about the love of God that He has for us!
“And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him (1 John 4:16 KJV).”
in closing
Friends, in closing today, I hope you will join me again as we dive deeper into this knowledge that God is love; and learn how to abide in this love! Love is the 1st attribute that begins to paint a full picture of The Fruit of the Spirit, The 1st Fruit we are studying in this Topic Series, The Benefits of Thanks Giving Every Day is love.
I hope this topic series encourages you that no matter what the situation looks like, to remember, God is Love! God is for you! For God has So loved the World, that He gave His only Begotten Son that if you will come to know and believe in this love God has for you, you too can begin to grow in this vine of life with God; not condemned, but saved and well loved by a powerful and eternal living God whom is For you, …
God is For you
God is With you
God is In you
And, when you are convinced, you will never be the same!
… through ONE way: Jesus, the Christ, the Son of the Living God, God is With you and dwells In you; and in Him, you can bare much fruit!
This is so powerful to understand that God is WITH you when you are with God!
Have you come to know and believe in this love God has FOR you?
This is so powerful to understand that God is WITH you when you are with God! And now we are beginning to dive into the Benefits of Thanks Giving Every Day!
If you are interested, I feel lead to teach you how God taught me and my son about how to abide in love!
perhaps you would like to start a journal?
I hope you join me next time as we dive deeper into learning what does the fruit of the Spirit look like in the life of a believer: Love is the first quality listed in defining this Fruit!
Until then, as you grow deeper in your relationship with God and blessings of growing into the Benefits of Thanks Giving, perhaps you would like to start a journal to note as you take notice, “Are the Fruit of the Spirit Active; or Inactive in my life?”
Galatians 5:22-23King James Version (KJV)
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
I hope this is a blessing of encouragement to you! If we get this, we will never be the same!
over the next few weeks here at FGGAM
The Lord has given to me at this time, 5 growing “Thanks-Giving Benefits” that I hope to share with you over the next few weeks here at FGGAM, by studying the Fruit of the Spirit as the benefits of Thanks Giving Every Day!
Related to these; You may also read …by Clicking Here for the link:
Exercising your “Thanks-Giving Abilities” by “Returning to Jesus to give Thanks-Giving to God, by Karen Rowe”
- Thank Giving Benefit #1: The Miracle of LIFE! Chances are, it was through a challenge that you have never faced before that drew you to desire a growing relationship with a forgiving and eternal God! And, this is Thanks Giving Benefit #1. Thank You, Jesus!
Love in Christ,
Karen Rowe
Write for your gift today:
The Train Whistle, Sounding the call of God’s Love, by Karen Rowe(2012 Published for you)
C/O Hope in Today Ministries, Inc.
P.O. Box 441, Efland, NC 27243
